The Best Coffee Table Books

Coffee table books have long been the interior designer’s secret weapon. They can be layered on shelf (or a coffee table, duh!) for a chic look. But more than that, they are a wonderful way to unwind and visually absorb beautiful and important images, all while learning a thing or two.

Coffee table books must meet some specific criteria. The trifecta of the coffee table book is when you love the content (first and foremost, of course), they are beautiful on the inside as well as the outside, and they have some weight and girth to them, making them ideal for layering and stacking.

Thumbing through books which showcase an artist’s work can be a peaceful way to unwind.

History and current event books are fascinating to look through. My parents had a Life Magazine coffee table book when I was a kid, and I learned so much about history, war, and politics while endlessly thumbing through those pages. (This was pre-technology, of course).

Vintage books are a nice juxtaposition to the clean and fresh books, and can look really interesting in a collection. Scouring used book stores and Ebay are your best bets for finding interesting topics, and having a pre-owned book that might be decades old only adds to the intrigue.